


30 Days of Shenga

by reddominae



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Multi, OT3, Polyamory, Post-War, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 02:31:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2332028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddominae/pseuds/reddominae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An "Odd Word Prompt Challenge" I found online somewhere at sometime at someplace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. SPACE

**Author's Note:**

> I stumbled along this challenge I had started at one time but had never finished. After some encouragement from all those lovely Shenga enablers on tumblr I decided to return to it and finish it! Some will be short, some will be long, some will be angsty and other's will be ridiculous fluff, but either way it's gonna be lots and lots of Shenga! 
> 
> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy!!

Shepard sat at her vanity brushing her hair out, her red curls as troublesome as ever, when her two men appeared in the vanity’s mirror. They both wore very serious expressions.

“Is everything alright?” she asked as she swiveled to face them, her hands cradling the brush in her lap. James crouched down to Shepard’s level and gently placed his hands on her thighs as he kneeled before her.

“We need to talk to you Lola,”

Shepard stared in confusion, first at James and then at Kaidan.

“Shep—Annie,” Kaidan stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “We have a problem— you have a problem,”

“A problem?” Shepard sputtered, her blue eyes wide, “What in the hell are you talking about?”

James took the brush from Shepard’s hands and reached around her to place it on the vanity before he stood up and pulled her along. Still holding her hand, James led her across the room and into their shared closet; Kaidan followed close behind.

Kaidan flicked on the closet’s light, his arm making a wide, sweeping gesture towards the closet’s three large walls,

“We love you Shepard, but this has to stop,”

Shepard was confused “Stop? What do you mean, _stop?_ ” she asked defensively.

“The shopping,” James supplied, “you have to stop shopping,”

Shepard stared at the two men and scoffed, “You’re being this dramatic over my shopping habits? Are you kidding me?”

“Lola, babe, do you really need _four_ cardigans in the same exact style?”

“But they’re different colors!’

“How about the plethora of clothes that you own all in the color black? Hmm?” Kaidan added, “Do you need that much black?”

“Black looks good on me and they _are not_ all the same kind of black,” Shepard crossed her arms, “I don’t know what the big deal is. I like to shop, so what.  Besides, I wear everything in here and on a regular basis,”

“But there’s no space for us, Lola,” James continued to explain, “Blue and I each had a wall in this closet at one time, but now we have to share _half_ of one. There isn’t enough space for all three of us and it’s because of your clothes, “

“You’re going to need to de-clutter, Shepard,” Kaidan told her.

Shepard was quiet for a moment and stared at the floor but then looked up with a sly grin.

“I have a solution. One where everyone has plenty of space, and one where I don’t have to give up my clothes,”

James and Kaidan shared a skeptical look. Shepard held each of their hands in her own and deliberately looked them in the face eye one at a time,

“ _I get the whole closet and you two can share the guest bedroom’s_ ,”

“What? No, Shepard—”

“Lola, that’s not—,”

“No,” Shepard waved to cut them off and turned to leave, “It’s the perfect solution! You’ll have your room and my clothes won’t be cramped. Win, win!” she said over her shoulder, and as if her smug smile wasn't enough, she added a wink for good measure. 

James and Kaidan stood alone, staring silently and dumbfounded long after their wife had gone.

“That did not go as planned,” James said after a minute or two. Kaidan sighed in agreement.

“Hey, Blue?”

“Yeah, James?”

“I don’t think we went about this the right way,” James unbuckled his belt and begun unbuttoning his pants, “I think we need to use a more _intimate_ touch. Ya feel?”

Kaidan met his husband’s eyes and smiled, “I think you may be right,” Kaidan followed suit, pulling off his shirt and tossing it on the floor, “Hey, Shep” he called out as he walked out of the closet, “We weren’t finished talking,”

“Yeah, Lola, this ain’t over," James was down to his boxers now, "Not by a long shot,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr at reddominae.tumblr.com


	2. ELBOW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got a little angsty, oops. It does contains some mentions of blood and alludes to the topics of miscarriage, neither in explicit or great detail, but if either of those are a trigger for you please be careful! 
> 
> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

It was an accident, a complete accident.

“Oh shit, shit!” James freaked, “Blue!  Blue!  Annie let me see, let me see. Oh, I’m so sorry, Lola! Shit,”

James stood over Shepard, hesitant hands fluttering about her person. He wanted to help, but he didn’t want to make it worse, and with his luck he’d definitely make it worse. Shepard sat on the couch and let out a long, painful groan. Her hands were clutching at her nose and her eyes were screwed shut. Blood seeped through her fingers and dripped into the popcorn bowl in her lap.

“Dammit Kaidan, get your ass in here!” James called out as he started to move the popcorn bowl from Shepard’s lap but then he stayed his hand. Bloody popcorn was no fun but neither would be his Lola if he got blood on their new couch.

“What is it? What happened?” Kaidan rushed into the living room, hair messy and clothes crumpled.  James groaned inwardly, Kaidan had probably been trying to sleep off a migraine.   

“It was an accident, Blue, I swear,” James explained as Kaidan moved quickly to sit on the coffee table in front of Shepard. Kaidan carefully pulled Shepard’s hands away from her face.

“No—don’t—ow, _OW!”_ Shepard jerked her head away from Kaidan’s probing fingers.

“I need to know how bad it is Shep. Now, let me see,” Kaidan delicately grabbed her chin and turned her face towards better light, “What happened, James?”

“We we’re watching the game and when my team won—”

“The _lieutenant_ ,” Shepard interrupted through gritted teeth, “elbowed me in the face while gloating,” Kaidan raised an eyebrow. Shepard only used their ranks when she was pissed, “and because winning wasn’t enough he had to clock me as well—shit!” she hissed when Kaidan tugged on her nose. James winced.

“It doesn’t look broken,” Kaidan ran a gently finger down the bridge of her nose, “and it looks like most of the bleeding has stopped, but you’re going to have a serious bruise come tomorrow,” Kaidan moved to help Shepard up and off of the couch but James quickly stepped in,

“No, I’ll do it,”

Shepard rolled her eyes and muttered something about being able to walk by herself but after passing the popcorn bowl to Kaidan, allowed James to take her hand and help her to the master bath in their bedroom.

Once inside the bathroom and before she could protest, James hoisted Shepard up onto the bathroom counter and settled her next to the sink. He carefully removed her blood stained shirt, cautious not to jar her face any further, and then chucked it into the laundry basket.  He turned the faucet on, and while waiting for the water to warm, crouched down to open one of the cabinets under the sink, grabbing a small hand towel.

James ran his palm under the water until it was warm enough for his liking and then wetted the towel. His large hands, so often used for combat, tenderly cupped Shepard’s face and begun the slow process of cleaning the blood from his wife’s face.

Shepard tried to stay mad—she wanted to stay mad, but when James kept his touch so light and his eyes were so full of regret and remorse, her anger couldn’t—wouldn’t—stay inflamed. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, and she knew it. She was upset because she had lost a bet, a bet she was so sure she’d win that she hadn’t really thought of the consequences.

The two stayed silent, Shepard out of shame and James out of guilt, but when James did finally finish he quickly washed his hands and then threw the red stained towel into the laundry basket as well. He turned to leave, and Shepard had reached out to catch his hand, but she had been too slow. She could have called out but she didn't.  She watched James leave without a word and she let him.

Shepard sat with her hands gripping the counter and legs rhythmically beating against the cabinets as she stared at the floor. She wasn’t sure how long she had sat there but it was long enough that she had started to shiver from her bare skin being exposed to the cold bathroom air.

“How much did you lose?”

Shepard looked up to see Kaidan leaning against the bathroom’s doorway.

“That’s why you’re upset, right? You lost the bet? How much?”

Shepard returned to staring at the floor and continued to beat her legs against the cabinets.

“Excuse me? What was that?” Kaidan asked.

Shepard sighed, “If I lost, ... If I lost, I told James that we could re-open discussions about…about in-vitro,”

Kaidan blinked several times, shock apparent in his features and unsure of what to say.

“I didn’t think I’d lose!” Shepard jumped down from the counter, “I thought ‘ _Why not? You’re team hasn’t lost all season, take the bet, and when you win you don’t have to do dishes for a week,’_ but I did lose and now... now I don’t think I can,”

“Can what? Do the dishes?”

“ _Kaidan_ ," Shepard gave her husband an unamused look, “I'm serious.  I mean, I still haven’t fully recovered from…from…” she ran a hand through her curls and trailed off, her voice failing her.

“From last time,” Kaidan finished for her. Shepard nodded. Kaidan stepped into the bathroom and took Shepard’s hands in his own, “I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you, and I am so sorry you had to go through that, but the bet was just to re-open _discussions_ right?” Shepard nodded again, “Then discuss with James how you don’t think you’re ready. Discuss how hard last time was for you, and discuss that you may need more time. Think you could do that?”

Shepard took in a huge breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling it out, “Yeah, I think so,”

“Alright then,” Kaidan placed a kiss on Shepard’s forehead, “Let’s find James?”

“Okay, let’s find James,”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like Shenga? Wanna chat and swap headcannons for this delicious pairing? Find me on tumblr at reddominae.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. I'm looking for a beta. Interested? Want the job? Send me a message via my tumblr :)


	3. SIREN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

Annie wandered the hospitals halls aimlessly, trying to quiet her thoughts, but all she could see, all she could hear, was that A.N.N. report of the skycar accident. Flashes of smoke and broken glass, the sound of the journalist’s detached voice, the blaring and screeching noise of the sirens, it all repeated over and over, in an endless loop that would not quiet.

Two people were already dead and dozens were injured all because some idiot teenager had decided to go on a joyride; the teenage had lost control and had crashed their skycar into a restaurant in the Wards.

Kaidan and James had been in that restaurant.

Kaidan had been in the restroom, had not been in the line of fire when the skycar exploded through the restaurants windows, but James…James had two broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and had suffered heavy blood loss.

When Annie had arrived at the hospital both Kaidan and the doctor’s had given her a brief rundown but it was far from encouraging. _It’s still too early to tell_ had been the phrase of the day and it had turned her blood to ice. Even Kaidan was worried about their husband’s state, and when Kaidan was worried Annie knew James was much worse than she had previously believed.

It had been while they were waiting anxiously outside of James’ operating room that a pair of nurses had passed Annie and Kaidan.  Their conversation had caught Annie’s attention.

_“All he has is a broken arm,” the nurse said as she passed by with her associate, “All those people and that kid manages a single broken bone,”_

_Annie stiffened in the chair next to Kaidan, her blood no longer ice but fire. Anger that was hot and righteous and feral swelled within her and Annie launched herself down the corridor searching for the idiotic boy who thought he was too cool for rules._

_Kaidan trailed after her, helpless, and tried to dissuade her, to calm her, to stop her, but Annie was single minded in her goal: make the life of the kid responsible a living hell. Just like the one she was currently in._

_Rounding a corner, she found the kid sitting in a chair, alone, and his arm in a sling. Probably waiting to get a cast. Annie surged forward, her vision red and placed herself directly in front of the teenager. She trapped him in his seat, leaning over and placing her hands on both of the chair’s arm rests._

_“What’s your name?” Annie’s hand itched to throttle the boy._

_“Who the hell are you?” the kid dared to say._

_“Captain Shepard of the Alliance Navy and Council Spectre,” Annie said through gritted teeth as her hands squeezed the chair’s arm rests, her knuckles turning white, “and I’ll only ask one more time._ What is your name _?”_

_The kid blanched. Good_

_“Ezra—Ezra Greenhorn,”_

_“Mr. Greenhorn, your escapade might have killed my husband, and let me tell you, if he dies, you will wish you were never born,”_

_“Shepard!” Kaidan reprimanded._

_“Don’t worry Mr. Greenhorn,” Shepard continued, “I won’t hurt you, but I will make sure you never forget what you’ve done here today,”_

_“Shepard that’s enough,” Kaidan grabbed her shoulder but she pressed on,_

_“You will not step foot near a skycar for a year, and if you do I promise that I will know. You will make a personal, face to face apology to every person you have hurt today, and for every person that has died or might die from your little ‘adventure’, you will reimburse their family a quarter of the funeral expenses. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear. Mr. Greenhorn?”_

_“Yes ma’am,” the boy squeaked out, “Perfectly,”_

Annie had straightened up slowly, her gaze boring into the stunned face of the boy, before turning on her heel and walking back to the waiting room outside of James’ operating room. Kaidan and Annie had waited for two more hours before the doctor had allowed them to see James.

The instant Annie saw James she had turned around and started walking. She hadn’t stopped yet. She couldn’t bare seeing her James—her Jimmy, so small and broken. The thought of him filled with tubes and covered in wires made her nauseous, seeing him wearing an oxygen mask had been even worse.

Kaidan hadn’t followed her and that was probably for the best. Kaidan was great for emotional support, for silently weathering the storm with you, but when it came to “talking about it” both she and Kaidan were woefully inadequate at it. James was the one who helped them-- helped Annie express her emotions but without him there helping her process, she couldn’t cope. So she did what she did best: she built up walls, she compartmentalized, and she ran.

Annie had found herself in the food court when her omni-tool beeped with a message from Kaidan.

_:: He’s up. He wants to see you. Room 312B ::_

Annie practically sprinted back to James’ room. She ignored the protests of doctors and nurses alike, she almost knocked over a food cart, and she did knock over a small child. She had apologized over her shoulder but once she turned a corner the incident fell from her mind. She arrived at James’ room shortly after and almost tore the door from its hinges in her desperation to see him awake and alive.

“Hey Lola,” James smiled from his bed, Kaidan sat in a chair beside it, “heard you terrorize little kids now,” Annie let out a strangled sob and caught herself on the doorframe when her knees threatened to give out on her.

“Oh, c’mon Lola, don’t worry,” James extended his hand out to her, it shaking with effort, and Annie quickly made her way to his side, clasping both her hands around his one,

“I’d never leave you here with just ole Blue,” James inclined his head toward his husband, “I mean, how would ya eat?” Kaidan protested and Annie let out a shaky laugh and James pulled her down to sit on the bed next to him. He slowly reached up to brush away tears that spilled over her cheeks.

“James, I was so—I couldn’t—and when you,” Annie fumbled helplessly.

“Shh, shh,” James tugged Annie into his arms carefully, her face nestling against his broad and bare chest, “It’s ok. I’m fine,” he stroked her back while Kaidan reached over to smooth her hair.

“I love you, James,” Annie whispered as she placed a soft kiss on James’ lips.

“I love you too, Lola,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like Shenga? Wanna chat and swap headcannons for this delicious pairing? Find me on tumblr at reddominae.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. I'm looking for a beta. Interested? Want the job? Send me a message via my tumblr :)


	4. CURL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for fluff!
> 
> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

James loved the way she sat at the breakfast bar watching him cook. He loved the way she would sip her coffee—one dash of sugar and two splashes of cream—and how she would twist a single red curl around her finger, laughing and carefree.

Kaidan loved the way she pulled her hair up with that old chipped hair clip. He loved the way a few errant curls would frame her face and he loved the way she tried to pin them back but they always stubbornly fell right back out of place.

James loved the way her curls would bounce as she danced, as if they too shared her joy. She would spin and twirl, a smile on her face that was warmer and brighter than any sun. He always thought that she never looked prettier.

Kaidan loved the way she slept, peaceful and at rest. The way she tucked the covers tight under her chin and how she would bundle herself under piles of blankets. He loved the way her curls splayed out on the pillowcase—a crown of fire for his warrior queen.

They loved the way she never straightened her hair, how she wore her curls with pride. They loved the woman that she was—their red haired, curly headed bride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like Shenga? Wanna chat and swap headcannons for this delicious pairing? Find me on tumblr at reddominae.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. I'm looking for a beta. Interested? Want the job? Send me a message via my tumblr :)


	5. SHIP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

Shepard and her boys were chatting amongst themselves, laughing and teasing with one another as they shared a rare moment of mutual down time. Sitting at small, round table that crammed them together, where they were all elbows and knees and touching and bumping, the trio indulged in an exquisitely un-healthy lunch of greasy burgers and fries. 

Despite the close quarters, they relaxed into one another as they ate, the presence of their lovers calming and restorative. Kaidan sat with a hand on James’s knee, Shepard leaned against Kaidan’s shoulder, and James snatched quick and sweet kisses from both of his lovers whenever the opportunity arose. 

They were halfway through their meal when Annie looked over James’ shoulder and groaned into her cheeseburger, 

“Oh, somebody shoot me now,” she muttered as she hunkered down lower onto the bench. Kaidan followed Annie’s line of sight and began to snicker into his beer when he saw an energetic man, all smiles and large hand gestures, rushing towards them and the side of their table.

“Captain Shepard!” Conrad Verner beamed, “It’s been such a long time,”

Slowly, Annie peeked out from behind the milkshake she had attempted to hide behind with a weary, indulging smile on her face. She stared at the blonde man.

“Conrad,” she swallowed hard, “has it really been so long?”

Kaidan coughed trying to stifle his laughter. James gave both him and Shepard a confused look.

“Oh yes, Shepard, sometime now,” Conrad clasped his hands behind his back, “I was walking by and saw you and knew I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t say hi,”

“Heaven forbid,” Annie resisted rolling her eyes, “While it is always….astounding to see you again, we--,” she gestured to her husbands who were both actively studying their fries, “are having some hard-earned private time—,”

“Oh, yes! Yes, Shepard,” Conrad exclaimed, “I’ll leave you to your lunch,” he waved and turned to leave but thought better of it, “and I have to say this,” Conrad pointed to the trio, “the minute I saw it, I totally shipped it,” Conrad smiled once more and stood there staring at the marines for several agonizing moments before finally turning to leave. Annie buried her head into her hands and Kaidan finally let out the laughter he had so poorly contained.

“Ship it?” James asked, still confused over the entire encounter.

“Next time we see Tali, she can tell you what it means,” Annie replied and then ordered herself another beer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conrad is such a fanboy! Am I right or am I right?


	6. FORK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, real life can take up so much of one's time, goodness! But for your patience have some fluff with just a dash of sexy times!
> 
> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

Kaidan was lounging with a beer in his hand and his feet propped up on the coffee table when the lights dimmed in the apartment and the biotic ball game he hadn’t really been watching turned off. A soft humming lilted in the air and he heard the strike of a match. Kaidan sat up slowly, his feet plopping off of the coffee table and onto the floor, and scooted forward to the edge of the couch cushions.

“Annie? Is that you?”

Kaidan turned around, arm across the back of the sofa, and lifted a dark eyebrow when he saw Annie walking towards him with a slice of cake that had a small candle lit on top. She smiled at his bemused expression and then began singing _Happy Birthday_ as she slowly sauntered towards Kaidan, circling the couch to stand in front of him and then gracefully lowered herself to straddle his lap.

“ _Happy birthday dear Kaidan_ ,” she sang, “ _Happy birthday to you_ ,” Annie presented the slice of cake, “Make a wish,”

Kaidan looked at Annie and his breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful with the candlelight dancing in her grey-blue eyes and glinting off her many ruddy curls. He ran his hands up and over Annie’s thighs and leaned forward to blow out his candle. With a wink, Annie pulled a fork out from her back pocket and speared a piece of the cake. Kaidan’s eyes never left hers as she brought the bite up to his lips and fed him.

“Is this—?”

“James’ recipe?” Annie ate a bite of the cake for herself, “Yeah. Since he couldn’t be here to celebrate he had that bakery you love so much make it,” Annie fed Kaidan another bite, “I think he drove them a bit crazy, but you know James, he had to make sure it would be done just right,” Kaidan chuckled, he could definitely picture his husband terrorizing the pastry chefs.

“And this?” Kaidan squeezed her thighs under his strong hands and Annie smirked before grinding down into his lap. Kaidan let out a small moan.

“This,” Annie took another bite of cake and slowly licked the fork clean of _all_ its icing, rolling her hips over Kaidan’s lap, “is per James’ instructions,” she fed Kaidan a piece and then leaned in to share a deep kiss, “to make sure you _savor_ the taste. Not eat it in two bites like you normally do,” Kaidan hummed in appreciation as Annie left delicate, teasing kisses along his jaw and neck and shivered when her teeth snagged on his earlobe.

“Well, I would never want to disappoint our Jimmy,” he replied as his hands snuck under Annie’s thin top, his palms sliding up her spine as he pushed her towards him. Annie let a small whine escape her when Kaidan’s expert fingers began to tease her through the fabric of her bra.

They took turns sharing the slice of cake between them, their kisses and the clink of the fork the only sounds in the darkened apartment. When icing found itself on a cheek or a neck, it was eagerly taken care of by hot tongues and soft lips, and when crumbs fell into the fold of a pant or down a shirt, questing fingers searched and searched until they were found.

By the time the cake was finished, and it _was_ finished, Annie and Kaidan were nothing more than breathless piles of want and need. They fell into each other with abandon. Clothing was removed and hands were tangled into hair, while moans and sighs were voiced without care. They met each other thrust for thrust and for every roll of the hips, and they reveled in the heat they created, the way their naked forms stretched and curled in pleasure. They savored more than just the lingering taste of strawberries and cream cheese, they savored each other, and when they cried out together, finishing as one, they savored that too.

As the two lay stretched out on the couch, blissfully tangled up in each other’s arms, Kaidan couldn’t help but smile to himself. He couldn’t wait to eat the rest of that cake.


	7. ICY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit short but I'd like to think it's short and sweet. Like Goldilocks would say "this one's just right"
> 
> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

It was a fairly widely accepted fact that biotics ran a little hotter than those without, and for James who was not only married to one but two biotics, sharing a bed could get a little toasty at times, but he never understood how the _minute_ Annie crawled underneath the covers her hands and feet became absolutely frigid.

It never failed, night after night she would slide into bed and night after night James would hiss in discomfort as her frosty extremities latched onto him. He loved and hated it at the same time.

He hated the way her icy hands would shock him out of his warm, hazy sleep, or the way she got supreme enjoyment at thrusting her offensively cold fingers in his briefs in her search for warmth. He hated the way her feet, especially her _toes_ , would prod his calves or sweep up and down his legs in an effort to create friction.

On the other hand, he loved the way Annie would press her entire body flush to his frame, soaking in his heat. The way she would wiggle deliciously against him, tracing her nose along his tattoos as she would breathe him in. He loved the happy sigh she would exhale as she found the place where she perfectly fit and the soft kiss she would lay against his skin.

James may never understand why his Lola’s hands and feet felt like she had kept them in an ice box all day, and he would never like the way they felt when they were pressed onto his body, but he would always love having her near him. If he had to brave through the cold, so be it, he’d do it every damn day.


	8. CANDLE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to post this entire challenge I promise! Thanks for sticking with me :)
> 
> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy!!

The cool apartment air chilled Kaidan’s bare back and stirred him from sleep. He pulled away from a gently snoring James to roll onto his other side and noticed their bed was missing one small redhead. The mound of blankets Shepard so often hoarded had been carelessly thrown back and her pillow had been tossed to the floor.

Kaidan stared at the empty space for several minutes debating on whether he should go in search for his wife or not. Shepard still had difficulty opening up to them, even after all their years together, and sometimes she just wanted time to be alone, to process and sort her feelings by herself. Kaidan almost woke James, the younger man having always been better at helping Shepard un-bottle all of her feelings, but in the end Kaidan let James be and rose from the bed himself in search for his missing wife.

He wasn’t surprised that Shepard had disappeared from their bed, being back in the town she grew up in had made her restless and on edge all day. Kaidan knew how much she hated it here, she had told him once that New York could “fall off the face of the Earth” and she wouldn’t even bat an eye, but she had been sent an invite for another memorial, or dedication ceremony, or some such thing, and Shepard had accepted. Because even though the war was over, the need for hope wasn’t, and if her presence could provide that for them than she wouldn’t deny them it.

Kaidan wandered the small apartment in the dark, careful not to run into anything, and poked his head into the bathroom and other various rooms looking for Shepard, but he eventually found her in the living room. Well, more precisely on the balcony that led out of the living room, sitting alone in nothing but a t-shirt— it looked like James’ shirt from the way it hung off of one of her shoulders. A solitary candle sat lit upon the ground at her feet, its flickering flame the only source of light around her.

Shepard continued to look out onto the nighttime skyline even after Kaidan stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“I couldn’t go to sleep,” she told him matter-of-factly.

“I can see that. Care to tell me why?” Kaidan asked.

“It’s—it’s hard being home... _h_ _ome,”_ she paused and then gave a self-deprecating laugh, “As if I could even call it that. It was more like my own personal hell,”

“Shepard…”

“You know the Reds still have a foot in New York?” she turned to look over her shoulder at Kaidan, the candle casting dark shadows over her face, “I may not have their collar anymore but I still feel like everyone can see it. Like—like they’ll drag me back because I’m ‘ _theirs’_ ,” Shepard fisted her hands on her knees, knuckles white, “I just hate that after all this time and even after all I’ve done, just setting foot in this city has made me feel like I’m back to being that helpless, trapped little girl,”

Kaidan leaned over Shepard and enfolded her into a hug, his chin resting on her shoulder, “In all my time that I’ve know you, _helpless_ and _trapped_ have never been words that I would associate with you. Even when we were _quite literally_ trapped somewhere you’ve never been one to let that stop you. You always found yourself a way out,” Kaidan gave Shepard a squeeze, “And besides, you can’t be _theirs,_ you’re mine and James and we’re yours,”

Shepard didn’t respond, instead choosing to stay quiet and Kaidan let her. He could feel her thinking, feel her wrestling with her silent thoughts, but Kaidan simply stood there holding her against him. Shepard would talk when she was ready. Eventually.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there but it was long enough that Kaidan had to actively fight against shivering, he was after all still only in his briefs, but soon enough Shepard melted into him, her inner turmoil at rest, at least for the moment.

“You’re right,” Shepard placed one of her hands on Kaidan’s forearm, “This may have been my home once, and I may have even been trapped her, but I did escape from it and I made a good life for myself too. No, you’re right, this isn’t my home anymore,”

“So, where is home now?”

“I— I guess,” Shepard took a deep breath, “I guess you guys are my home now,”

“And we always will be,” Kaidan vowed, “Now, let’s get you back to bed Mrs. Alenko,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that even though Annie and her boys officially keep their names, even after tying the knot, they still call each other "Mr. Shepard" and "Mrs. Alenko" "Mrs. Vega" from time to time because they're sickeningly sweet and gross that way :)


	9. PINK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns all.  
> Not beta'd, any mistakes are my own.  
> Enjoy :)

Annie’s favorite color was black, no doubt about it, half of her closet was in the dark shade, but she did have a soft spot for pink. She attributed it to her dancing days on Earth, when she lived on the streets and her dreams of being a ballerina was all she had. She never wore the shade in bulk though, it was always a sliver of color, an accent, like a soft, pale cardigan or pink diamond stud earrings. She guessed she liked the color because it reminded her that at one time she thought the world was a decent place, and sometimes it was nice to be reminded that that can still be the case.

\-----

It wasn’t easy, and it was hard work, but Kaidan loved to make his spouses blush. James’ entire face would take on a rosy shade that would slowly deepen to red whenever Kaidan was assertive with him, taking charge just the way James liked it; sometimes it was when he would hand feed James a taste of whatever her was cooking, ever so slowly, and popping his thumb into his mouth to be sucked. Annie’s cheeks would bloom his favorite shade of pink whenever he got her to believe how beautiful she was in his eyes; sometimes she would flush entirely scarlet, her nose the deepest of rouge, when and if he ever caught her listening to her favorite 21st century boy bands

\-----

It had started out as a joke—a prank gift one birthday, but even so James had come to love the frilly, pink apron his spouses had gotten him. Sure he looked completely ridiculous whenever he put it on, but it was a sure fire way to make his loves smile. Whenever a debrief hadn’t gone well or the paparazzi had been more vicious than usual, James would casually slip into the apron and within seconds of seeing him Annie and Kaidan would be smiling once again. They swore he cooked better in the thing too. He didn’t know how much of that was true, but it was worth it to hear them praise the dinner he would make.

 


	10. APPLE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember that time I started a 30 day challenge? Haha, yeah, me neither..... 
> 
> ALRIGHT, so I'm back! I know it's been awhile (forgive me!) but if you guys are still around I appreciate it! Soooo for waiting so long why don't you guys have some smut! It's not much, and please be gentle it's been awhile since I've written smut, but either way hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Oh yeah, this wasn't beta'd, and I wrote it while enjoying several whiskey sours, so please forgive that as well, and who knows maybe one day I'll go back and edit it a bit more, but for now it is what it is ;) Yaay!

“Say it,”

“Oh, c’mon James, let me have it,” Annie pleaded.

“ _I’ll_ let you have it,” Kaidan said as he nibbled his way down Annie’s neck from where he sat naked behind her.

“ _Say it,_ ”

“James, please,” Annie squirmed under Kaidan’s hands, her breath becoming shallow as his dexterous fingers teased her nipples. But James would not be swayed by her pleas and gave her silken blindfold a tug when she took too long to respond, “Oh, fine,” she conceded before rolling her eyes, not that he could see that, “you were right. This was a great idea,”

James was smiling, Shepard knew he was. She wished she could see it, it was probably her favorite smile of his, all dark and sexy and…sexy. His deep green eyes even darker with desire, that hunger that he looked at her with, like he couldn’t wait to devour her…fuck, it was making her hot just thinking about it.

Annie heard James pick up something from the small fruit tray she knew lay on the bed somewhere in front of them.  She listened carefully, trying to discern exactly what he was doing, but damn if that huge marine wasn't silent when he wanted to be.  Just when she was sure James was going to let her sit in anticipation for longer than she wished, something was pressed against her lips, seeking entrance. Annie slowly opened her mouth and was met with melted chocolate, the crisp sweet tang of apple, and James’ lips.

“Now that wasn’t so hard,” James gave Annie’s bottom lip a quick bite, “was it Lola?”

Shepard moaned in response for Kaidan’s hands had begun to wander lower, his skilled fingers seeking her center. James, approving of the direction Kaidan was taking things, pulled Annie’s legs further apart, his large hands tracing maddening patterns across the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

“Damn, Lola, you look—heh, you look good enough to eat,”

Kaidan peered over Annie’s shoulder, his amber eyes molten, “Then do it. _Eat her,_ ”

Both Annie and James breathing stuttered at Kaidan’s tone but it was Kaidan who saw James’ feral grin at the order. James loved it when the older man took charge. It always meant fun. With a grace the belied his size, James laid out in front of Annie, tossing her legs over his shoulders, and begun to teasingly nose at her folds.

Kaidan controlled the pace. His fingers had left Annie’s clit and instead had threaded through James’ hair, pushing and pulling and directing the marine’s movements. With his other hand, Kaidan continued to pinch and pull at Annie’s nipples, eliciting the sweetest of whimpers and moans from her. Annie writhed in pleasure between the two men, her body flush and over-sensitized and a beautiful sight to behold for Kaidan. She tried to reach behind her, to touch Kaidan, to give back in some way, but Kaidan denied her and instead pinned her arm behind her back.

“No, this is about you,” he whispered, his voice low, “but that doesn’t mean you get a say. Not tonight, _Commander._ Tonight _I_ give the orders,”

Annie whimpered as Kaidan applied pressure to James’ head, pushing James and his masterful tongue deeper into her center. James, understanding his intent, increased his attentions and slipped two fingers into Shepard, pumping in and out and hitting _that_ spot _just_ right.

It wasn’t long before Annie was bucking underneath both of her men, and her need for her release apparent. In sync, like they so often were, James and Kaidan worked together to bring Annie to a crashing and overwhelming orgasm. She cried out, their names spilling from her lips, both curse and blessing.

Kaidan gently removed Annie’s blindfold and placed a soft kiss on her temple while James simply rested his head against her thigh.

“That—that was…” Annie fumbled for coherent thought.

“Delicious?” James supplied cheekily. Annie laughed.

“Yeah, something like that,”

 


	11. PAPER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is a sore loser.

She would never have expected it from him. From James? Sure, but it wasn’t James who was staring her down with cold, cruel eyes, who had turned into a manipulative bastard with materialistic tendencies. No. It was Kaidan.

“It’s over, Annie,” he told her, a smug grin on his face. 

Shepard stared into his unforgiving gaze and couldn’t understand where she had gone wrong. They had been allies once—friends! But now, now there was only shattered dreams of what could have been...

Had she hurt him? Crossed him in some unintentional way?  Why was this happening?  There was no doubt that she had paved her own way at the beginning, she was Commander Shepard, Savior of the Galaxy, it was what she did, but she was also a team player.  She could play by the rules, of course she could, but playing by the rules hadn’t worked out so well this time.

“Oh, fine,” Shepard conceded with a huff, tossing the rest of her money onto the board.  Kaidan laughed as the brightly multi-colored papers scattered about and knocked over several of his red and green plastic pieces.  James playfully poked at Annie's oh-so-adorable pouting face. 

“And for the record," Shepard added, "we’re never playing Monopoly again,”

**Author's Note:**

> Do you like Shenga? Wanna chat and swap headcannons for this delicious pairing? Find me on tumblr at reddominae.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. I'm looking for a beta. Interested? Want the job? Send me a message via my tumblr :)


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